1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to containers and, more specifically, to a biological safety mailbox. The biological safety mailbox is comprised of a base container and a removable lid. The base container has spaced apart walls converging into a base. The base and walls are molded into one piece having no seams. Molded into the walls are pluralities of exteriorly extending cylindrically walled conduits forming access ports providing access into the interior of the biological safety mailbox. The conduits have an interior smooth bore and the exterior wall has a circumferential groove positioned oil the exterior distal end periphery wherein an elastomeric O-ring can be positioned. Gloves are positioned within the device with the open end extending beyond the open end of the access ports. The gloves are folded back over the conduit extending past the exterior groove. Once positioned thereon an elastomeric O-ring is place over the conduit until seated within the access port groove which hermetically seals the gloved access port to the base housing. The biological safety container has a hingedly attached lid providing access into the hermetically sealed compartment. The open end of the base container has a compressible gasket and one member of a mating pair of closure fasteners, the other being positioned on the lid, whereby engaging the closure fasteners forces the lid against the base container gasket therein creating a hermetically sealed compartment.
On the underside of the base container are longitudinally extending L-shaped channels having one distal end open and the other closed with a locking element extending therefrom.
An additional element is provided in the form of a substantially planar base having longitudinally extending channels with one open distal end and one closed distal end having a lock element positioned therein. The base member also has a plurality of apertures whereby the base element can be attached to a stanchion, such as a post. Once attached thereto the biological safety mailbox base channels and lock element can be mated with the planar channeled base and locked thereto.
Further additional elements are provided to the biological safety mailbox whereby the mailbox can be used by a plurality of people, such as would be necessary for commercial use. The mailbox has a plurality of gloved access ports providing access to a plurality of compartments. Each compartment is formed by adding a partition to the interior of the device whereby the interior can be divided into a plurality of hermetically sealed compartments. The lid which functions as previously described, being hinged and having closure fasteners, also has a plurality of access ports providing access to each compartment therein. The plurality of compartments are hermetically sealed one from the other. Therefore, if particulate contaminants are discovered in a piece of mail and is suspected of being a potentially harmful agent or microorganism, it is confined to that compartment and will not effect or contaminant the other compartments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While the existing biological safety containers may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
Therefore it is felt that the need exists for a simple easy to manufacture hermetically sealed gloved box whereby mail can be inserted therein and inspected for particulate contaminants without exposing the individual to said potentially harmful agents.
The present invention is a biological safety mailbox having a base container and a hinged lid. The base container has a plurality of exteriorly extending cylindrically walled conduits forming access ports. The conduits have a circumferential groove positioned on the exterior for the placement of an elastomeric O-ring. Gloves are positioned within the interior of the device with the open end extending through the access port and folded thereover. Once positioned thereon an elastomeric O-ring is place over the conduit until seated within the groove and thereby hermetically sealing the gloved access port to the base housing.
Access to the interior of the biological safety container is gained through a hingedly attached lid which seals to the base container compressible gasket through the use of closure fasteners. The closure fasteners forces the lid against the base container gasket therein creating a hermetically sealed compartment.
On the underside of the base container are longitudinally extending L-shaped channels having an end open and a closed end with a locking element positioned within the closed end that can be mated with an additional element in the form of a bracket that can be mounted to a post. Once attached thereto the biological safety mailbox performs the function of a mailbox.
Further additional elements are provided to the biological safety mailbox to create a multi-user-commercial workstation. The mailbox has a plurality of gloved access ports providing access to a plurality of compartments. Each compartment is formed by adding a partition to the interior of the device thereby dividing the interior into a plurality of hermetically sealed compartments. The lid has a plurality of access ports providing access to each compartment therein. The plurality of compartments are hermetically sealed one from the other. Therefore, if particulate contaminants are discovered in a piece of mail and is suspected of being a potentially harmful agent or microorganism, it is confined to that compartment and will not affect use of the other compartments.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a sealed transparent unit for opening and inspecting mail prior to exposure to the content of said mail.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having gloved access ports therein.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having outwardly extending conduit elements with an exteriorly positioned groove whereupon gloves can be mounted thereto.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having longitudinal base member that will mate with a planar channeled base member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having a hingedly attached lid.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having closure fasteners for compressing the lid to the base container.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety mailbox having fasteners whereby the device can be mounted to a wall.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an easy to manufacture and maintain biological safety mailbox having a plurality of gloved access ports providing access to a hermetically sealed compartment wherein mail and small parcel can be inserted for the purpose of opening and inspecting said mail for particulate contaminants.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.